High Tech affiliate marketing: An interview with “Le Point”
Interview of Nicolas Luciu, Head of Content-to-Commerce at Le Point
How do you perceive the evolution of the High Tech sector (in general and in affiliation)?
From my perspective, trends are moving in a positive direction. The market continues to grow, despite some challenges during the Covid period—specifically stock shortages—and Google’s frequent algorithm changes. Overall, the sector is healthy, with regular product launches keeping the momentum high.
We are also seeing new trends and players emerge. I’m thinking particularly of Back Market, which champions refurbished goods, attracting consumers who are both eco-conscious and price-sensitive. Moreover, products are becoming more powerful and durable, leading to a high-quality second-hand market. This is naturally attractive given the price points of the latest new releases. Finally, new Chinese brands have entered the market with excellent price-to-performance ratios and a strong drive for brand awareness. It’s a fast-moving field with great opportunities.
What role does Artificial Intelligence (IA) play in your content, SEO, and monetization strategies?
Like everyone else, we’ve started integrating AI into our daily workflows. We are testing quite a few things, particularly in automation. We occasionally use it for drafting, brainstorming new ideas, generating strategic outlines, or data analysis. However, the human element remains indispensable for most of these tasks—and I believe it always will be. Humans remain the most powerful tool to be mastered.
Have you already adapted your visibility strategies for the era of conversational engines (LLM, SGE, ChatGPT, Perplexity…)?
These are subjects we are currently exploring. The question of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is being discussed with certain partners and is part of our ongoing work. We are reflecting on how to adapt our offer to this new demand, notably through scoring systems. Many players are positioning themselves in this market. We are still at the very beginning, but the idea is to move toward a “reinforced” SEO model.
Which levers or best practices seem most effective today for maximizing affiliate ROI in the High Tech sector?
Last year, Google implemented several major algorithm updates. We remain dependent on Google, as it is still our primary source of traffic today. This requires constant adjustments. We need to stop the race for clickbait titles and prioritize content that truly answers user queries. General interest blogs and traditional media have already made this shift toward signed, authentic, and “embodied” content. We are moving in the same direction: less opportunistic click-hunting, and more qualitative, authentic storytelling.
What common misconceptions do you still see from brands, and what advice would you give to avoid them?
Some brands are obsessed with being purely ROI-oriented. Working with affiliate platforms, they naturally want immediate results. But this is a long-term game. Brand awareness is built over time; you cannot operate solely on “one-shot” campaigns. Long-term partnerships are far more effective. You have to test over the medium term. Too much “ROI-ist” logic eventually undermines the overall strategy.
How much of your overall revenue does affiliation represent today? How do you see it evolving with model diversification?
At Le Point Services, affiliation represents about 50% of our turnover. We are also developing GEO, syndication, article citation rights, comparison tools, and other levers.
Affilae and the High Tech sector
Many platforms exist, but we’ve seen great success with brands like BenQ on the Affilae platform through long-term campaign setups.
What are the advantages of collaborating with a platform like Affilae?
Affilae has a unique system compared to other platforms, especially regarding client relationships. We aren’t commissioned like a traditional ad network, which creates a different, closer way of working. The relationship is tripartite: the publisher’s vision, the client’s expression of need, and the platform which is remunerated on performance. This changes how we approach each topic.
The team is young, exchanges are seamless, and the points of contact are always available. Laurent and the teams are approachable and easy to work with.
What are your major projects for the next 12 months?
I want to attract more Tech players, even if they are often pre-empted by specialized media. On our side, we approach them from a more lifestyle and generalist angle, consistent with Le Point’s “ABC1++” (high-income) demographic. We position ourselves in the Premium segment. We are also closely following major events, particularly the CES in Las Vegas.
Why is High Tech interesting for a media outlet like yours?
For a media outlet like ours, High Tech has one major advantage: high average order values (AOV). It is more interesting to work on BenQ projectors than on beauty products, which are less profitable and harder to monetize. Everyone is equipping themselves, products are renewed regularly, and there are opportunities in both hardware and services. This fits perfectly with Le Point’s DNA.
Even if we offer some entry-level options, it’s the High Tech products that best match our premium positioning.
